Ministry of Jal Shakti
Implementation of Clean Ganga Targets
Cleaning of river is a continuous process and Government of India is supplementing the efforts of the State Government in addressing the challenges of pollution in river Ganga and its tributaries by providing financial and technical assistance under Namami Gange Programme. Under this Programme, a diverse set of interventions for cleaning and rejuvenation of river Ganga have been taken up including waste water treatment, solid waste management, river front management , maintaining continuous flow in river, rural sanitation, afforestation, biodiversity, conservation and public participation etc.
The interventions taken up under "Namami Gange" programme have led to marked improvement in water quality across various erstwhile polluted stretches of river Ganga.
As per CPCB data for 2021, the observed water quality of river Ganga indicates that Dissolved Oxygen , which is an indicator of river health has been found to be within acceptable limits of notified primary bathing water quality criteria and is satisfactory to support the ecosystem of the river for almost the entire stretch of the river Ganga. As per CPCB report of 2018, there were four polluted stretches on main stem of river Ganga , with priority I being most polluted. With the various interventions taken up under the Namami Gange Programme, the water quality of river Ganga has remarkably improved across various erstwhile polluted stretches of river Ganga. Now, as per the water quality report of 2021, none of the Ganga Stretches are in priority category I to IV and only two stretches are in Category V with Biological Oxygen Demand  ranging between 3-6 mg/l as per CPCB categorization of polluted stretch. As per comparison of median data of water quality parameters viz., DO, BOD and Faecal Coliform for year 2014 and 2021; DO  has improved at 31 locations; BOD at 46 locations and FC at 23 locations, respectively.
The definition of various priority categories is given below:
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Priority Category
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I
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II
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III
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IV
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V
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Criteria
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BOD > 30 mg/l
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BOD: 20-30 mg/l
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BOD: 10-20 mg /l
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BOD: 6-10
mg/l
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BOD: 3-6
mg / l
The projects sanctioned under Namami Gange has gained the requisite momentum and with completion of these projects the cleaning process of river Ganga will be further continued.
CPCB under “Namami Gange” has established 18 RTWQMS stations, measuring the water quality of the main stem of River Ganga with effect from March 2017. These locations measure a maximum of seventeen and a minimum of eight parameters including ammonia, chloride and nitrate at the designated locations. Boron and arsenic are not part of the parameters monitored in real-time network.
World Health Organization  has stipulated the following drinking water specifications:
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S.No
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Parameters
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Standard limits 
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1
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Ammonia
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1.5
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2
|
|
Chloride
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200 to 300
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3
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Nitrate
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50
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4
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Boron
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0.5
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5
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|
Arsenic
|
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0.01
The details of real-time water monitoring stations recording parameters exceeding WHO safe limits for Ammonia, Nitrate, Chloride, Boron and Arsenic, State-wise are annexed as Annexure-I.
Under Namami Gange Programme, 160 sewerage infrastructure projects have been taken up with a sanctioned cost of Rs.24,633.01 crore for creation and rehabilitation of 4930 MLD of STP capacity and laying of 5227 km of sewerage network, out of which 78 projects have been completed resulting in creation and rehabilitation of 1,169 MLD of STP capacity and laying of 3,908 km sewerage network.
The details of sewerage infrastructure projects taken up and completed along with details of the cost of these projects, state-wise, is given in Annexure-II.
In the year 2020, CPCB monitored 334 drains discharging into river Ganga and its tributaries discharging about 11784.8 MLD  of raw water mixed with waste water.
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STATES
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Monitored Drains
|
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Flow 
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GANGA STATES
|
|
|
|
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Uttarakhand
|
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25
|
|
141.13
|
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
|
154
|
|
2185.04
|
|
Bihar
|
|
19
|
|
609.48
|
|
Jharkhand
|
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6
|
|
2.89
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West Bengal
|
|
56
|
|
6627.45
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Total-A
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260
|
|
9565.99
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TRIBUTARY STATES
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|
|
|
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Uttarakhand 
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2
|
|
169.17
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|
Uttar Pradesh 
|
|
25
|
|
497.37
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Uttar Pradesh 
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|
26
|
|
1334.15
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|
Uttar Pradesh 
|
|
6
|
|
180.08
|
|
Uttar Pradesh 
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|
15
|
|
37.99
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Total-B
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74
|
|
2218.76
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Total 
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334
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11784.8
In context of river Ganga, Government have issued a Gazette notification dated 9th October 2018, wherein minimum environmental flows that is to be maintained in river Ganga from its origin to Unnao  have been notified. The details are as below.
For Upper Ganga river basin :
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S.No.
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Seasons
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Months
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 Percentage of Monthly Average Flow Observed during each of preceding 10-daily period
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1
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Dry
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November-March
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20
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2
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Lean
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October, April & May
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25
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3
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High Flow
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June to September
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30
For river Ganga below Haridwar upto Unnao:
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S.No.
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Location of Barrage
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Minimum flow releases immediately downstream of barrages
 Non- Monsoon 
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Minimum flow releases immediately downstream of barrages  Monsoon 
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1
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Bhimgoda
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36
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57
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2
|
|
Bijnor
|
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24
|
|
48
|
|
3
|
|
Narora
|
|
24
|
|
48
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|
4
|
|
Kanpur
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24
|
|
48
This Information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.